


Return of the Moon Man

by gyulist



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Produce X 101 (TV), UNIQ (Band), X1 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Astronaut, Astronomy, Boys In Love, Complicated Relationships, Fluff and Angst, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Soulmates, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-07-11 18:02:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 19,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19932214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gyulist/pseuds/gyulist
Summary: Hangyul wanted to explore outerspace, Seungyoun wanted to settle down with the person he loves.Time became precious, it became dangerous. One persons will power is put to the test, While the other is wondering if he made a mistake.astronaut au





	1. Whats in the stars

"You know if you keep frowning like that your face is going to stay that way" Seungyoun playfully nudged his friend as they walked up the stairway leading to their campus. Seungyoun watched as Hangyul peered up from his notebook and intensified his frown making Seungyoun giggle even more. He loved when Hangyul made him laugh. It was a different kind of laughter. The kind that made you forget about pending problems, the kind that made you forget you were still you.

Hangyul was the best thing that could've happened to Seungyoun in the 3rd grade. He was grateful he forgot to bring his pencil to class that day because this moment right now, might've never happened.

"Were kinda lucky that the science block is just a few steps away from accounting huh ?" Hangyul draped his arm around Seungyoun as they both looked at the bold letters protruding out of the cement walls.

"Astronomy" Seungyoun read, "oooooh fancy."

Seungyoun grabbed Hangyul's reading glasses out of his top pocket, placing them on his face and immediately dived into character. Hangyul stifled a laugh as he watched his friend pace back and forth with his hands behind his back, muttering a few words he had come across in Hangyul's textbook.

"Ah sir" Seungyoun pulled an unsuspecting boy into his shenanigans. "Are you familiar with astrophysics?"

"uh yes I am studyin-"

"Then answer me this question!" Shouted Seungyoun startling the poor boy as he gestured for Hangyul to hand him his textbook.

Hangyul mouthed an im sorry as he handed the book to his ridiculous friend and shook his head at his ongoing antics. Seungyoun flipped through the book erratically, each page turn made the boy more anxious as if he was about to get tested by an expert of astrophysics. 

Seungyoun finally settled on a page and sighed deeply.

"Did you know Spectroscopy revealed that some nebulae are purely gaseous, while some contain- huh ?"

Hangyul grabbed his textbook and glasses as Seungyoun sunk deeper into confusion. "He has no idea what he just read, lets get to class" Hangyul chuckled. The boy let out a sigh of relief and ran into the astronomy building with Hangyul following behind him.

"Hey! where are you going ?!" Seungyoun finally said shaking his silky black hair and regathered himself.

"To class fool" Hangyul responded, "meet me at Newtons at 4."

Seungyoun groaned and nodded, eventually making his way over to the accounting building.

He hated the time they spent apart mainly because nobody else got him like Hangyul did. Most of the kids in his department either thought he was an idiot or a troublemaker and never took him seriously. But Hangyul did. For some weird reason that Seungyoun could not wrap his head around, Hangyul thought that Seungyoun was intelligent. A soon to be astrophysicist called him intelligent. Seungyoun was good at numbers hence why he decided to take accounting, but it still bored the hell out of him. He hated books. He hated learning about things that would never make him happy or a millionaire. Yes that was his only priorities as of late.

Seungyoun threw his bag onto the floor and began watching the clock above the projector. Time always moved so slow when they were apart. Seungyoun remembered the first summer Hangyul went on an overseas trip with his parents, that was the first time he felt truly alone. 

He had other friends but not the kind he could call at 3am and talk about conspiracy theories with. There was a point during that dark summer that Seungyoun realized he couldn't rely on Hangyul like this. Was it unhealthy ? - he always seemed to ponder on this question. 

Hangyul was also shy and never dated anyone so Seungyoun could never test out if he'd be jealous even for a split second. 

'God this is so boring' Seungyoun thought to himself as his lecturer droned on about taxes. He drifted into a daydream, where he was living in a glass mansion surrounded by forest trees and not one of these nerds were in sight. He smiled selfishly at the thought, when the lecturer finally announced class was dismissed. 

It was 3:45pm and Seungyoun got onto his bike and took the scenic route down to Newtons, one of their favorite hang out spots. It was Hangyuls favourite spot technically since this was an observatory - but Seungyoun obliged since he knew how much his friend was into this kind of thing. 

Seungyoun parked off his bike in front of the quaint cafe that was attached to the old observatory and walked through its wooden frame. 

"Hey Seungyoun!" one of the waiters waved as he dusted off the tables.

"Yohan when did you start taking weekly shifts ?" Seungyoun picked up one of the menus and examined it. 

"Since I need to pay for a graduation gown" 

"We have to pay for one of those?" Seungyoun scoffed and took a seat at the table Yohan began setting up for him. 

Yohan rolled his eyes. "You never change do you - So the usual ?" 

Seungyoun nodded handing Yohan the menu and pulled out his phone to browse his social media. Yohan was a close friend of both Seungyoun and Hangyul after meeting them both in 8th grade. Yohan's father actually owned Newtons Observatory and allowed the boys stargaze after hours.

Yohan also knew he was a possible third wheel in their friendship but it didn't get to him. He only ever hung with them when they wanted to. Other than that he would be found reading his books in the corner of the cafe. 

"Hey weirdo" Hangyul tapped Seungyoun at the back of his head and pulled him to his feet. Seungyoun gave him a cheeky smile and shoved him playfully as they collected their ice coffees and made their way up to the Observatory. 

The observatory was empty since it was a Thursday and the fact that not many tourists came to their town during the Winter. It was satisfying when you could hear your footsteps through the empty hall and the darkness began to envelop you. 

Newtons was made up of the cafe, the planetarium and finally the observatory that held one the biggest telescopes in the province. Nobody ever went to the rooftop even though there were smaller telescopes alongside which were all in perfect condition, it was just for research purposes conducted by Yohans father. Mr. Kim only allowed Hangyul to use the area since he took his major seriously, and ofcourse Seungyoun - because Hangyul needed someone to 'motivate' him.

The boys reached the rooftop and Hangyul set out the bag of fast food he bought on the way. This was a typical evening for them. Whether it be summer or the wrath of winter, they would be there sitting on the rooftop having the best time of their lives. 

"How was your nerd class ?" Seungyoun said as he munched on a french fry. 

"nerdy" Hangyul smirked as he studied his notes, "how was you not paying attention in Accounting ?"

"blissful" Seungyoun smiled brightly and laid back onto the gravel looking up at the sky as it began turning a navy blue and each star showed itself, twinkling along with the moonlight. 

Hangyul moved beside Seungyoun and mimicked his movements, throwing a picnic blanket over their legs. The two of them giggled about their families, friends, lecturers just about everything they could think of until the conversation drowned out. 

"NASA is visiting Seouls space station next week" Hangyul turned onto his side so that he could face Seungyoun, flicking his ear to get his full attention. "Our sector is allowing three people enter their 3 week orientation and im one of them." 

"What ? that's great!" Seungyouns eyes lifted with glee. 

"I get to bring a friend for the open day"

Seungyoun's smile grew as he already knew that he'd be the one to go. He lifted his fist in the air as a sign of victory and Hangyul shook his head.

"Anyway the orientation is only during the day so we can still meet here at the usual time" he continued, “do you think they're looking for astronauts ?"

Seungyoun pursed his lips and frowned. "I know you're smart and everything but aren't astronauts like engineers or something?" he shrugged. 

"Yeah but there are different types of astronauts" Hangyul debated, "anyway im only graduating this year I highly doubt I would even qualify for that job yet."

Seungyoun joined Hangyul on his side and looked deeply into his eyes. He knew how badly Hangyul wanted to go to outer space - he was like a kid who still believed in those kind of possibilities. Of course Seungyoun would want him to live his dream but space travel meant months sometimes even years apart. He wouldn't know what to do or how to handle it. It would be like that morbid summer, but worse. 

Seungyoun bit down on his lip and chuckled lightly. 

"If you ever go to space can you take me with, I really am curious about one thing in particular"

"Which is ?" Hangyul arched an eyebrow.

"I want to know what its like using the bathroom with zero gravity." 

The two of them exploded into another fit of laughter as the dark sky now shone brightly above them. It was pure and serene. Time stood still for once in an advantageous way. 


	2. Satellites

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungyoun accompanies Hangyul on a trip to Seoul Space Station despite his endless worries.

The morning light hit Seungyoun's face as he tossed and turned in his white covers hoping to catch a few extra minutes of sleep. Today was the Seoul Space Station open day and Hangyul told him to get up early so that they could catch the earliest train before the working class starts crowding the subway. 

Seungyoun's phone buzzed once more, his snooze button giving up its last try to wake up its drowsy owner. 

"Im up im up" Seungyoun yawned and finally forced himself out of the warm bed and welcomed a cool winter breeze. 

He managed to squeeze in a quick breakfast before heading down to the subway entrance where Hangyul was of course already waiting for him. 

Hangyul was dressed quite formal, with his navy blue slacks and white collar shirt as compared to Seungyoun, who just showed up in his usual black tracksuit and sneakers.

"Why are you dressed like you're going to church ?" Seungyoun quizzed as the two boys raced each other down to the blue subway line. 

Hangyul scanned in his transportation card and rolled his eyes as they dodged the flock of people rushing to their morning commute. 

"I just want to make a good impression" he said as they squeezed into one of the carts.

"as I said. anything could happen." 

Seungyoun yawned and rested his head on Hangyul's shoulder while taking out his phone and plugged in his earphones. Hangyul took one of them as Seungyoun browsed through his playlist and played Jasmine by DPR Live. The music filled both of their ears as they watched the city fly by. Seungyoun closed his eyes and allowed himself get lost in the moment. He was listening to his favorite song with his favorite person and nothing in this world could make him happier than he was in that moment. 

"Hey we need to get off at the next stop" Hangyul whispered and Seungyoun snapped out his comfortable position yawning yet again.

"Will there be coffee at this nerd convention ?" He groaned as they hopped off the train and made their way to the nearest exit.

Hangyul's eyebrows furrowed. "Can you stop calling us nerds, I mean you like math."

"Yes, but I don't go to math conventions now do I"

Hangyul sighed and pulled out his phone for directions. His eyes flickered between his screen and the signs ahead of him as Seungyoun lazily followed close behind him. They finally stopped when the shuttle bus labeled 'Seoul Space Station' pulled in from around the corner and Hangyul spotted his professor along with the other two students who were selected for the Orientation. 

"Hangyul ! your'e finally here!" one of the boys waved as they approached them. Seungyoun peered at the two boys from behind and snickered to himself. 

Hangyul tried to hide his laughter too when he noticed that the two boys were covered from head to toe in NASA merchandise. 

"You two look like you're going to a NASA kpop concert" Seungyoun teased as they hopped onto the bus. 

One of the boys scoffed and turned his attention to Hangyul. "Why did you bring him?"

"He is my plus one" Hangyul smiled sweetly.

"-and are you each others plus ones because you dont have any other friends?" Seungyoun interrupted and the boys became flustered. 

Hangyul hushed Seungyoun and pointed at the window as the bus drove out of the bustling city and the space station could be seen on the horizon. Hangyul's eyes lit up with excitement. The last time he had visited the space station was in 6th grade during space camp. He couldn't believe he was back and this time as an astrophysicist grad student. 

The bus pulled up to the entrance and the instructor in charge of the group laid down a set of rules for the visiting students before handing them an itinerary for the open day. 

"Are you fanboying right now?" Seungyoun nudged Hangyul as they stepped into the massive space center filled with technology they have never seen before. 

"Fanboying would be an understatement" Hangyul gleamed with excitement. 

The party gathered to the center of the room where a pale man in an orange jumpsuit approached them in a friendly manner. Seungyoun could tell he was somebody important with the way Hangyul and the other two boys froze upon his greeting.

"Hi im Nick Morgan im an astronaut and physician from NASA" he bowed respectfully and Seungyoun pinched Hangyul who still seemed too starstruck to even move. 

Hangyul quickly bowed "Im Lee Hangyul sir, astrophysicist student its an honor to meet you."

The man chuckled and got acquainted with the professor who boasted about his top students while they stood starry eyed behind him. 

"I wonder what you guys are going to learn here" Seungyoun looked around the room feeling extremely out of place.

"hmm I dont know but its going to look great on my resume right ?" Hangyul said with a smile plastered on his face. 

The astronaut finished up his conversation with the professor and stood in front of the boys once more. His eyes mainly focused on Hangyul and Seungyoun assumed he probably knew of Hangyul's never ending accolades at their university. 

"I dont want to spoil too much but I hear NASA is actually here to recruit" the man winked and made his way to the next group of people. 

One of the boys gasped and tugged onto his friends shirt. "Recruitment ? as in we could work in the States ? with thee NASA ??"

An unusual feeling overcame Seungyoun as the boys spoke about the candidate possibly moving to America and working at the biggest space station in the world. His first instinct was to grab Hangyul's hand the motion startled the both of them. 

"Hey you okay ?" Hangyul murmured his eyes filled with concern. 

Seungyoun pulled his hand away and chuckled nervously. "Im...hungry"

Hangyul's lips curled into a smile. "Break time is in the next hour of the itinerary" he waved the form in front of his face and joined the group for the next part of the tour. 

Seungyoun pressed his lips together and forced a smile while following close behind. He had no idea what had come over him and why anxiety began eating at him for most of the day. It was rare he was this quiet but Hangyul brushed it off knowing Seungyoun wasn't really interested in the open day and he was really just doing it for him.

The tour guide finally led the group into the cafeteria and Seungyoun finally felt more relaxed after he caught a bit of the last lecture, given by an astrophysicist one that Hangyul adores quite a lot.

'Seoul is the best place for an astrophysicist to live in. Everything we need is right here in the heart of Seoul Space Station'

Those words stuck in his head and brought him a bit of comfort. Seungyoun was not clingy nor did he spend every waking hour talking to Hangyul, but if he had to leave - it wouldn't be easy for him.

Seungyoun started to relax until the astronaut from earlier approached their table. He bowed politely but he felt himself on edge once again as the man placed his hand on Hangyul's shoulder. 

"Can I talk to you for a second?" He asked kindly, "I have a few people who would love to meet you kid." 

Hangyul's eyes widened and slid out of his seat. He nodded quickly and turned to Seungyoun who gave him a reassuring smile as he watched his best friend walk out of the room. 

Seungyoun waited. 

He seemed like the wait was going to go on forever and even considered just catching the train and going home. He already felt like he shouldn't be there and Hangyul already had the support of his peers and professor. 

He eventually found himself wondering around the control center, watching through the window as the workers controlled all the satellites and aircraft in outer space.

"engineer or physician ?" a voice said behind him. 

"accountant" Seungyoun answered warily as a man dressed in black trousers and a beige buttoned shirt offered him a cup of coffee. 

"I think you're in the wrong building then sir" the man chuckled as he and Seungyoun chugged down the bitter coffee. 

"Im actually here with a friend" Seungyoun mumbled, "he won this NASA orientation or whatever."

The man nodded. "I know. I saw you looking kinda down I was hoping you weren't discouraged by this experience." 

"Its just not my type of thing"

"Space travel ?" the man was astounded by Seungyoun's lackluster for an experience which was indefinitely one in a million. 

Seungyoun shrugged and took another sip of his coffee not in the mood for another space geek try educate him of everything that went into it. He had heard enough from Hangyul. 

"Oh boy" the man sighed and pulled out a handbook from his back pocket. 

"What is it ?" Seungyoun frowned as the man held the old book up. 

"I want you to read it in your own time, when you feel you're ready to learn all about it" the man smiled and shoved the book in Seungyoun's backpack. 

Seungyoun frowned and watched as the odd man disappeared down the hallway. 

'What was it with these nerds and trying to convert people' he thought. 

He was soon interrupted by the professor who gathered the students back to the shuttle bus. Seungyoun noticed Hangyul sitting at the back, his eyes lighting up as soon as they made contact with Seungyouns. 

"Where were you ?" Hangyul asked as Seungyoun sunk into the seat next to him. 

"I was watching those worker guys move the satellites I guess" Seungyoun yawned "What did that guy want ?"

"oh" Hangyul shrugged "just met with the lecturers that will be conducting the orientation."

"Is that it ?" Seungyoun bit down on his lip still uneasy about the length of their discussion. 

"yeah" Hangyul reassured him "It was just formalities."

Hangyul felt Seungyoun's body tense up when he tried resting his head on his shoulder but he was not one for confrontation. He knew why Seungyoun was behaving like this. He remembered the moment he got back from Germany the one summer, Seungyoun refused to talk to him for two days. It was typical of him and Hangyul hated that Seungyoun would prefer to isolate himself when he was away instead of hang out with their other friends. 

He already knew that Seungyoun probably thought they were trying to recruit him to move to America. But the truth was even if they did, Hangyul would never leave. Besides the fact that his dream was working for Seoul Space Station he wouldn't be able to combat the world without Seungyoun in his corner. They were each other's halves as corny as that sounds, there was no reason they would separate under any circumstances.


	3. hollow

_'I wont be gone forever, you know i'll always come back Seungyounie'_

_'but-'_

_'quiet, lets watch the stars.'_

Seungyoun gasped, waking from his dream and took in to his surroundings. His forehead drenched in sweat was becoming a night time ritual as of late. He exhaled deeply and checked the time on his phone.

"3am again" He mumbled and unlocked his phone. He was greeted by four new messages from Hangyul, he was probably having a restless sleep too. 

_Hangyul: Seungyoun ?_

_Hangyul: Seungyoun_ _are you awake ?_

Seungyoun sighed and jumped out of bed grabbing his water bottle to accompany him at his bedroom window.

_Seungyoun:_ _What's wrong ?_

_Hangyul:_ _Oh you are awake....hey_

_Seungyoun:_ _What do you want ? its the last day of your orientation tomorrow..you should sleep_

Seungyoun bit down on his lip as he watched the three dots next to Hangyul's name pop up. This was out of character for Hangyul ever since he joined the orientation. Most days he was really tired, he even left Newtons early because of his long days and the only full day they had spent together was graduation. Seungyoun could only imagine what of training they were making him do there. 

_Hangyul: I want you to come to my orientation grad ceremony its not formal but my professor said they will announce important news and I want you to be there_

_Seungyoun: Shouldn't your parents be there or something..._

_Hangyul : They are going....but I want you there too._

_Seungyoun: okay..I'll be there._

Seungyoun locked his phone and retreated back to his bed. He hoped he could get a few hours of sleep before he had to enter that building once again. 

Hangyul's parents had arranged for Seungyoun to join them on their journey to the Space Station. His mom was always so kind to Seungyoun and made the extra effort to make sure he was comfortable. 

"Seungyoun have you eaten ?" She asked sweetly offering him her homemade kimbab. 

Seungyoun bowed politely and accepted the meal, immediately taking a bite. 

"I told her you always skip breakfast" Hangyul raised his brow and Seungyoun stuck his tongue out at him. Everything seemed normal despite that awkward text at 3am, Seungyoun suggested that Hangyul was probably nervous about making a speech at the ceremony. 

"Space Station ahead cadets!" Hangyuls's dad announced in a deep voice earning an embarrassed sigh from both his wife and son. 

"Hey come on Im just trying to be official here" He responded to his bored audience. 

Seungyoun chuckled and assured Mr Lee that he thought he was hilarious as the family made their way into the Space Station. 

There were many familiar faces, in fact the most noticeable person was the astronaut who they had met on the open day and he immediately recognized Hangyul, greeting him with a huge smile. 

"That guy is in love with you" Seungyoun muttered as they searched for their assigned seats. 

Hangyul shook his head finally sitting down. "He is my lecturer."

"There are people into that kinda thing"

"What thing?"

"Nevermind."

The boys hushed once the chairman of the Station finally approached the podium and began speaking about the entire program and what the visiting students were learning. The formalities droned on forever and Seungyoun could not understand what they were talking about, he just wanted Hangyul to collect whatever award or praise so they could be on their way. 

"Now for the reason we brought you all here" The chairman gleamed and signaled one of his employees. The lights started to dim and the huge monitor behind him switched on revealing NASA'S logo alongside Seoul Space Station's Logo. 

"NASA came to us a month ago in search of the very best engineers and physicians to complete a new team in order to simulate a future expedition" The Chairman continued, as the picture changed to what looked like a fake space craft. 

"These students were taught not only the basics but they were part of a simulation and we tested their abilities accordingly."

The NASA astronaut now stood up from his seat holding certificates in his hand and walked onto the stage. 

"Two students excelled immensely in this program and we are thankful that we had the pleasure of working with them" The chairman proudly stated as the rest of the staff nodded in agreement. 

"Kang Minsung, Engineer" The chairman announced and a tall broad boy sitting just in front of Seungyoun rose from his seat while everyone clapped. He made his way to the stage accepting his certificate while his family cheered him on. 

The chairman quietened the room in order to read the next name on his list. 

"congrats nerd" Seungyoun whispered and watched Hangyul's lips curl into a smile. 

"Lee Hangyul, physician" the chairman bellowed and the crowd erupted once more, the loudest of course being Hangyul's dad. 

Hangyul shyly went up and accepted his award, making sure to thank everyone on that stage including the other awardee. That was just his nature and Seungyoun loved how empathetic he was. 

"Now now it doesn't end there" The chairman mentioned as the pictures of the two boys appeared on screen behind him. 

"As I mentioned earlier, the students were on a simulation for an expedition planned to take place in the near future by NASA astronauts. These two have shown exceptional skills that proved vital for the research and even though they are just young adults, we believe they are capable of doing extraordinary things. Which is why we are choosing them as Korea's representatives for the first Seoul/NASA space launch in May."

The two boys looked at each other both of them having no clue as to what exactly was being said until the astronaut, Drew Morgan got up to the podium. 

"You two boys are joining us on the 742 expedition, you two are now.. astronauts."

The crowd gasped and erupted in cheers that echoed throughout the building. Hangyul felt himself celebrate without fully processing the situation that he was going to live his dream. Minsung threw his hands around Hangyul as they accepted cheers and hugs from their families and staff. It was all happening so fast, except for one person. 

Seungyoun felt like something sunk within him. His body went cold and the crowd went silent. His sight was blurry and he wanted to run. He was going to run, its all he could do. 

He stood up and looked into the crowd, his eyes meeting with Hangyuls. 

Hangyul smiled brightly until he noticed Seungyoun's eyes became glazed and before he could even take a step forward, he watched him run. 

Seungyoun had managed to make it at least a mile away from the station when his legs decided to give out. He wished he could just be in his bedroom, locked away for no one else to see. 

"Hey kid do you need a ride ?"

Seungyoun looked up and noticed it was the man who gave him the handbook during the open day event. He hated that it had to be this guy, but it was better than to be stuck in the middle of nowhere. 

The car ride was silent as it breezed by the empty fields, making it's way back to the city. Seungyoun's tired eyes watched as the dusty road became more constructed, signaling that he was finally away from that horrible place. 

"Look I know your'e upset but this is a good opportunity for your friend there" the man consoled him. 

"I dont want to talk about it" Seungyoun threw his hoodie over his head and slumped in the seat. 

"Look I completely understand the situation-"

"No you dont. None of you guys do" Seungyoun snapped. "There's the observatory I can walk from here."

The man slowed down his car until it came to a complete stop and sighed. He knew how much Seungyoun was hurting, he knew that Seungyoun also was aware that his tantrum was selfish but he wanted to help. 

"My name is Kim Bomin, all my information is in the book I gave you so if you ever need to talk just let me know kid" He smiled, unlocking the door for Seungyoun. 

"Thanks for the ride" Seungyoun mumbled and shut the door behind him, making his way up to the one place his mind was telling him not to go. 

Seungyoun made his way to the rooftop through the back entrance. He didn't want to run into anyone else nor did he want them to ask him why Hangyul was not with him. He knew that if somebody had to say his name he would break down completely. 

He laid on his back for hours, just watching as the sky turned dark. A light drizzle began to fall but Seungyoun couldn't care less. All he wanted to do was wait until this day was over. 

"S-seungyoun ?" a faint voice came from the rooftop entrance. 

Hangyul stepped onto the rooftop, his lips trembling at the site of his friend. He wished it didn't hurt the way it did. How was he about to live his dream, but not have Seungyoun there by his side. 

"Seungyoun Im sor-"

"Congratulations Hangyul" Seungyoun said sincerely, "this is your dream and I don't want to be selfish about it."

Hangyul watched as Seungyoun stumbled to his feet, his jet black hair already soaked from the light showers. Hangyul fidgeted with his fingers. He had no idea what to say or what to do. There were a lot of mixed emotions every single time it came to Seungyoun and this moment brought another feeling to light. 

They were afraid. 

Afraid that they could not cope without each other and more afraid of a possibility that they could. What if when he got back Seungyoun decided to move away. What if he got back and Seungyoun had found happiness in someone else. 

"I wont be gone long" Hangyul stuttered, "I was told it would be a year."

"A lot can happen in a year" Seungyoun shut his eyes. 

Hangyul slowly approached Seungyoun, reaching out and grabbed his shoulder. 

"and when I get back your'e going to catch me up on everything okay ?" 

Seungyoun nodded and fell into Hangyul's tight embrace. He felt himself cry for the first time in a long time. He had to learn to be his own person and he needed that for Hangyul too. He didn't want to be the thing that stopped his best friend from living his biggest dream. As much as he hated the situation he had to do this for Hangyul, even if it killed him inside. 


	4. Infinity

Seungyoun stared up at the ceiling, watching the holographic stars projecting on the wall grow larger and larger. 

“Just beneath Orion’s Belt is Sirius” Hangyul pointed to the map of stars on the ceiling, “sirius is the brightest star in the sky.” 

Seungyoun wrinkled his nose while listening intently to Hangyul explain the Milky Way. The star projector was actually a gift from Hangyul some time ago, and whenever he had a restless night he turned it on and immediately felt more relaxed. 

“It looks kinda lonely even though it’s the prettiest star” Seungyoun pouted making Hangyul chuckle. 

“Well it’s actually a binary star so it’s made up of two stars, Sirius A and Sirius B” Hangyul explained, “that’s why it’s so bright, they work together.” 

Seungyoun turned to his side and faced Hangyul, closely studying his face as he spoke. He wanted to take in every detail of him, from the exact way his eyebrows would turn down when he was concentrating, to the way the corner of his lips would curl when he made a mistake. 

“I’m going to miss you” Seungyoun blurted out causing Hangyul to stop and turn his head locking gazes with Seungyoun . 

Hangyul pressed his lips together creating a soft smile. 

“I’m going to miss you too.” 

The two of them stared at each other in silence, just basking in their presence. Knowing someone was going to leave for an indefinite amount of time made them realize how much every second counted. Every story, every laugh, every petty argument every little thing counted. 

Hangyul’s watch beeped, signaling that he had to leave for his last day of training before the big expedition. 

“Newton’s at 7pm ?” Hangyul said as he jumped to his feet. 

“Don’t you want to rest and spend time with your family?” Seungyoun asked even though he would rather spend the most he could with Hangyul before he left in a couple hours. 

“I really need to show you something so no” Hangyul replied with a smirk and grabbed his bag from the counter. 

“Don’t be late.” 

Seungyoun nodded to himself and resumed to staring up at the ceiling. Anyone would think he was so strong right now, especially over the last few weeks. People applauded him for putting Hangyul first and making sure he was sticking to his diets and his training. He was being the best friend he could be but on the inside he was dying. 

It got really bad especially at night when he was alone with his thoughts. His heart would beat rapidly fast, his palms were always sweaty and the nightmares consumed him. 

‘What if something goes wrong’ his brain would tell him. Would he still be the hero that pushed his friend to live his dream ? 

One night the thoughts were eating at him and it became so bad that he had to see Hangyul. 

There he was 2:30am knocking on Hangyul’s door, asking him if he could spend the night. That night worried Hangyul and Seungyoun was aware of it. He swore that from that day forward he would bury the fear and make sure Hangyul didn’t have to worry about him. 

Seungyoun had drifted off to sleep without realizing and woke up to the sound of an alarm Hangyul probably set up for him. He rubbed his tired eyes and switched off the projector before making his way to the shower. 

He was about 30 minutes late to Newton’s but he managed to sneak in before Yohans dad could catch him in order to ask a million questions. Making his way up the stairs and into the observatory itself instead of the rooftop, per Hangyuls request he noticed a figure standing beside the main telescope. 

“What’s this all about ?” Seungyoun walked over to him and peeped over Hangyuls shoulder. 

“I’m giving you a crash course on a few important things, sit down” Hangyul ordered with a grin and switched on the computer that was set up on a metal table behind the telescope. 

“Okay so I know you’re aware that the space station deals with satellites as well as the spacecraft” Hangyul quizzed, clasping his hands together. 

Seungyoun blinked. “Uh yeah, yes I do.”

“Great now the station will be checking up on us every week or so and send up a signal” Hangyul continued and handed Seungyoun a booklet. “Turn to page 3.” 

Seungyoun frowned but followed Hangyuls order and looked at the page clearly marked as the station signal and a color chart for the beams sent up. 

“Blue means we’re in orbit, Green means we’re stationary and Red means -“ 

“I know I’m dumb but can read Hangyul” Seungyoun rolled his eyes. 

“I’m just making sure you understand” Hangyul shrugged “just remember to check for the beams at 9pm every Friday okay.” 

Seungyoun gave Hangyul a thumbs up, hoping he wouldn’t go as far as teach him an entire chapter of astrophysics in two hours. Hangyul nodded and pulled up another screen that was even more confusing than the first and Seungyoun buried his head in his hands. 

“This is the important part so listen up” Hangyul smacked Seungyoun on his head and pulled him up to view the computer screen. 

“I’ll be able to send out codes probably once a month and they translate into written messages. It’s quite limited and data gets deleted most of the time but please promise me you will check the data everyday.” 

Seungyouns eyes widened as he stared at the screen. 

“E-everyday ?” He stuttered. 

“Seungyoun.....”

“Well don’t waste messages with boring stuff then. Make sure it’s interesting” Seungyoun groaned. 

Hangyul held up his pinky finger and looked into Seungyouns eyes, his face completely stoic. 

“Promise me” 

Seungyoun bit down on his lip and sighed finally giving in. “Everyday.” 

The smile returned on Hangyuls face as they’re fingers interlocked making their final pact before the big trip. They rarely made pinky promises in their young adult lives but when they did, it was really big and completely unbreakable. They both already knew that they’d live up to each other’s word right until the end. 

“The space station will also do video messages if you want to do one. They do have certain times though so check the booklet” Hangyul mentioned, “I mean I’d definitely send you one but like if you want to send one back you can- I know how much you hate that place so-“

“Geez what’s gotten into you today” Seungyoun chuckled at his friends talkative state. He’d never seen Hangyul so flustered before, and when he does talk this much he knew he probably had a lot on his mind. 

“Anyway I gotta get back home for this family dinner, I’ll see you tomorrow” Hangyul smiled and scratched the back of his head nervously. 

The two stood in silence not sure what they should do or say to one another. Both of them hoped the other would clear the air and say what’s on their mind. Act on it, share the feelings they’ve been holding back for years, but that would just worsen the situation. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow” Seungyoun finally said and gave him a quick hug.  
Hangyul bit down on his lip and nodded before shuffling away to the exit. 

Seungyoun exhaled deeply and browsed through his notes, ready to finally accept the happenings of tomorrow. 

“Seungyoun wake up Hangyuls parents are waiting outside for you” Seungyouns mother called from behind his door. Seungyoun sighed, he had been up for most of the morning just preparing mentally for this day. 

“On my way” he answered and grabbed his backpack, heading downstairs to the car. 

Hangyul had already left to the Space Station prior in order to prepare so the car ride was solemn to say the least. Not even Hangyuls cheerful dad could brighten the mood, both his parents were proud but their fear began to show through. 

They arrived at the station, this time entering though to the back where only loved ones were allowed to see off the astronauts. Seungyoun swallowed hard as he saw the other families standing around, most of them were unbelievably calm since they’ve probably been through this before. It gave Seungyoun a little hope, that these people were experienced and they were going to keep Hangyul safe. 

Finally it was time for the team to enter the room and a loud buzzer went off, followed by the National anthem. Five astronauts appeared from the elevator all adorning the white space suit accompanied with their helmet by their side. It was like something out of a movie as they made their way down the ramp and shook the hands of all the important people involved. 

Hangyul looked poised and professional. It was as if he had been doing this his entire life. Seungyoun couldn’t help but marvel at how perfect he looked in that suit. He was made for it. 

The astronauts finally made their way to their families some of them even had kids who were absolutely proud that their parent was an astronaut. Hangyul approached his parents and his mother immediately started crying, gripping onto her son and mumbled many Sweet words into his ear as he lightly stroked her hair and told her that everything was going to be okay. 

His dad was a strong man but he couldn't help but shed a little tear as Hangyul embraced him tightly and thanked him for all of his sacrifices and that he was the one who inspired him to be the person that he was today. 

Finally Hangyul slowly approached Seungyoun. His smile slowly becoming sadder as he noticed a tear drop from Seungyouns eye. But what triggered him the most was that Seungyoun still had that goofy smile on his face. That smile that always made him so happy. His now crescent shaped eyes were filled with tears but he still smiled because he had to stay strong no matter what. 

“I’m going to miss that stupid face so much” Hangyul sighed trying to keep his composure as his heart beat rapidly. 

“I’m going to miss your stupid face too” Seungyoun replied and ran into a tight embrace from Hangyul. 

The embrace was much like the one on the rooftop. It was strong and it showed a kind of weakness they had never experienced in their friendship before. Seungyoun buried his face into Hangyul’s shoulder gripping onto his suit even tighter while Hangyul caressed his head, unable to speak words of comfort like he did with his parents. He wanted to say so much to Seungyoun but he wouldn’t know where to start or how to express the emotion he felt. 

“Hey I want you to have this” Hangyul finally said as Seungyoun pulled away and watched Hangyul unclip his NASA broach from his suit. He placed the broach firmly in Seungyouns hands and closed them. 

“Don’t you dare lose it, I want it back when I return” Hangyul smirked. 

Seungyoun chuckled and nodded, wiping his tears as the captain called for the astronauts to enter the ship. 

Hangyul began his retreat when Seungyoun cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted. 

“Yo Hangyul! Have fun being a nerd!” 

The last image he got to have was Hangyuls wide chuckle before his space shuttle finally took off. Leaving his earth. Leaving Seungyoun.


	5. transmission

'Don’t you dare lose it, I want it back when I return'

The last phrase Hangyul had said to Seungyoun always lingered with him. It gave him a sense of security even now, two months down the line it had kept him sane. Seungyoun was scheduled to make and receive a video call two weeks ago but it was moved to today due to an unstable connection. But Hangyul was safe, since he made sure to use the computer code messenger at the Observatory to let Seungyoun know that the other astronauts needed to patch a satellite.

Seungyoun twirled the NASA pin in his hands and watched as the morning light hit against the metal. Since Hangyul had left he had no idea what to do with his free time especially on the weekends. During the week he would hang around the observatory with Yohan, waiting for Hangyul's signals and looking at job boards but on the weekends he was on his own.

He was graduated now, and his parents wanted him to start working, but that was the last thing on his mind especially after suffering through his last few classes at University.

Seungyoun glanced at his alarm clock and jumped out of bed. He wanted to get to the space station as early as possible, before any of the families showed up and took up all the time slots.

After a quick shower and breakfast, Seungyoun jumped onto the first train out to the city and even found a comfortable seat. Plugging in his headphones, he searched his bag for his comic but reached for Bomins's handbook instead. The spine of the book looked quite old, way too old for a young person like Bomin, working at the space station must have been in the family he assumed.

Seungyoun opened the book and noticed Bomin's name written at the top of the title 'A hobby in Astrophysics' .

He scoffed. 'Who would study this as a hobby' he thought opening up the first page. The introduction was pretty easy to breeze through since he knew most of the basics thanks to Hangyul. The thought made him crack a smile. He felt somewhat proud that he actually remembered everything Hangyul explained to him, even though he had no interest in it.

'Maybe I'll surprise him with a few facts next time we have an astrophysics conversation' Seungyoun smirked and continued reading the rest of the first chapter.

His train finally arrived at his destination and he managed to get on the Space Station with only one other person. They looked quite familiar, and Seungyoun was certain he had seen them during the farewell event.

"Please note that you should not disclose any information the astronaut you are meeting with to the public" The instructor on the bus announced and the old man up front glanced back to Seungyoun and sighed.

'What the hell was that for' Seungyoun frowned as they pulled up to the entrance of the space station.

The elderly man hopped out of the bus, glaring at Seungyoun once again as the instructor led them to the waiting room.

"Did I do something to you?" Seungyoun questioned as the two of them took a seat outside and filled out a confidentiality form.

The man focused on the questions, his eyes not leaving the paper. "You young people fall in love too hard too early" he muttered as he scribbled in his form.

Seungyoun's eyes widened when he realized what the man implied. "Its not like that, he's my best friend since we were kids" he explained as his face began to heat up.

"Keep telling yourself that kid it would be easier on you" The man patted Seungyoun's shoulder and made his way into the recording room. Seungyoun felt his heartbeat rise up even though he knew he put out the truth. Hangyul and him were just friends, there had never been anything more than that.

The man's words made Hangyul overthink to the point of almost missing his number being called. He quickly jumped to his feet and neatened himself before bowing to worker at the door, who smiled politely at him as he stepped inside.

The set up was basic. A small room with a desk and tv screen, a professional video camera on a tripod in front it and of course an official who monitored the footage.

"Cho Seungyoun for Lee Hangyul" The worker at the door read his form and gestured for Seungyoun to take a seat at the table.

Seungyoun exhaled deeply to calm his nerves and kept his fidgeting hands in his lap as the official began looking for Hangyul's message to Seungyoun. Seungyoun couldn't believe that he'd be seeing his best friend after two months, and it was coming in from outer space. They had really come a long way.

"Seungyounnie"

Seungyoun gulped as he saw Hangyul pop up on the screen. He still looked more or less the same, but to Seungyoun it was as if he were seeing Hangyul for the first time. He couldn't hide his smile as Hangyul casually brushed back his brown locks and called him by that stupid nickname he learnt to love.

"Seungyounnie, I got your response im glad you paid attention and used the coding software well. I was afraid you would give up and just pretend you didn't receive my message"

Seungyoun chuckled along with Hangyul knowing how predictable he could be at times. But thankful he exceeded his expectations for once.

"Space is just as amazing as I imagined. Its really quiet and dark but the stars! wow I really have the best view from my bedroom ever! Also going to the bathroom is not as fun I imagined. The food is pretty weird and my body hurts. But Im in space! I really cant believe it."

Hangyul pursed his lips and his eyes drifted to the floor.

"I really wish you were here to see it Seungyoun its unreal. I cant wait to get home and tell you all about it."

The video cut with Hangyul waving as someone on board with him instructed him that his time was up. Seungyoun's bright eyes became dull once more as he watched the screen turn black and the words end transmission appeared. He knew that as a non family member his time would be shorter, but that flew by within seconds.

It was now Seungyoun's turn to record a message and he already forgot about what he wanted to say. Now that he realized that the videos were ridiculously short, his mind breezed through everything that happened within the last two months.

The official switched on the camera and Seungyoun cleared his throat as his hands shook nervously at his side. Nodding at the officials cue, Seungyoun changed back to his supportive best friend demeanor in order to make sure Hangyul would not worry about his well being.

"Hi Hangyul" Seungyoun began, with a cheerful grin. "I'm sure you're having the best time. I'm doing pretty okay.Parents are on my case as usual. Yohan is still a big nerd but he sends his cheers to you. Also started reading your dumb manual and I must say I might become a better physician than you."

Seungyoun raised his eyebrow cheekily and pulled out the NASA pin from his pocket.

"When you get back lets see who is the smartest and winner keeps this, deal ?" Seungyoun waved and the camera beeped, signaling his message was now recorded and ready to be sent over.

His smile quickly faded and it felt as though the dark rainy cloud reformed over his head and snapped him back to reality.

"Don't be down kid" The official comforted him as he walked Seungyoun out of the room "your friend is in good hands, time will be up before you know it."

Time will be up before you know it.

That's all Seungyoun could ever hope for.


	6. friends

"Do you even understand what your'e reading ?"

"sort of"

"Seungyoun astrophysics is not something you can learn overnight" Yohan rolled his eyes and took a sip of his iced coffee. The two boys decided to take a trip to the coastline since the weather was beginning to clear up. A new cafe had opened up near the pier and it was the talk of the town. 

Seungyoun inhaled the fresh air and smiled widely at his friend who had no faith in his ability to learn something complex. 

"I actually think its interesting" Seungyoun grinned, "Did you know if you you're on Mars the sun appears blue ?"

"Who are you?" Yohan cringed, watching his usual lazy friend now read for leisure. It was probably good that Seungyoun had a hobby now instead of hibernating in his room he thought. Even if this particular subject was linked to Hangyul, it was still good to see Seungyoun back to his usual self. 

Yohan peered over Seungyoun's book and noticed him googling the words underlined in the handbook. Yohan shook his head and snapped his fingers in front of Seungyoun's face. 

"I told you, its way too difficult" he tutted, "if you're really interested I think you need to get a tutor."

"Well do any of your nerd friends study this?" Seungyoun inquired finally setting down the book. 

Yohan sighed and pulled out his phone and began browsing through his contacts. Seungyoun's eyes followed Yohan's thumb as he continued scrolling down until he clicked on one of the contacts and tilted his head.

"I dont know..." Yohan hesitated biting down on his lip.

Seungyoun's eyebrows raised and leaned over the table to get a better look at Yohan's phone. 

"What is it ?"

"He is a guest lecturer at the university right now, he is extremely smart and close to our age" Yohan shrugged showing Seungyoun the lecturer's profile. 

'He looks so friendly' Seungyoun thought, unable to stop himself from smiling at the cheerful profile picture of the lecturer. It seemed like a good idea since this guy would probably have a lot of free time, and needed a friend his own age. 

"Does he stay at the campus residence ?" Seungyoun questioned and started to pack away his books.

"Yeah, wait you want you want to visit him now ?!" Yohan exclaimed watching his friend grab his coffee and head for the exit. 

Yohan quickly followed Seungyoun's footsteps already out of breath and watched a taxi pull up at the entrance of the cafe. 

"Were not doing anything important now are we ?" Seungyoun grinned and threw his arm around Yohan, "Tell him we'll be there in about 20 minutes." 

The boys jumped into the taxi and it took off back towards the town center. Seungyoun had no idea why he felt adventurous today but he was happy that he was finally able to spend some time away from his thoughts and he started to put a real effort into bettering himself. 

The taxi pulled up to the residence entrance of the campus and Seungyoun thanked and paid the old cab driver gratuitously. 

"He stays at room 304" Yohan read off the text message and looked at the directions on the entrance board. 

Seungyoun traced his finger from their position until he found the floor they were searching for. The two of them hopped into the old elevator punching in the number and relaxed when it finally took them safely to their destination. 

"Hey are you sure about all of this" Yohan finally addressed him, as the two of them stepped out of the elevator and made their way to the suite. 

"What do you mean ?" Seungyoun raised his brow, unsure about Yohan's sudden change of tone. 

"This is for you right ? not for...Hangyul"

Seungyoun froze at Yohan mentioning Hangyul's name and felt the pain rush back to the middle of his chest. He knew the only part of his interest was of course for Hangyul, why else would he be interested?

But he knew it also sounded pathetic. That he really couldn't let go and be his own person, that he was looking for an excuse to be closer to Hangyul instead of deciding his next stage of his career. 

"It's for me I swear" Seungyoun whined and playfully shoved Yohan as they continued down the hallway. Yohan decided to ignore the fact that he knew the truth and came to the conclusion that inviting a new friend into his life might be a good thing for Seungyoun. 

Yohan pursed his lips and rang the doorbell, and in a few short minutes the door opened and they were welcomed by an extremely charming man. Hi black hair fell over his crescent shaped eyes as they wrinkled with his bright smile. He was around the same height as Seungyoun but his masculine frame made Seungyoun feel small. 

"You guys actually came all the way" He chuckled and gestured for the boys to enter his room. 

The lecturer's room was well kept, with only his desk scattered with his laptop and textbooks. The place was tiny, but had a decent view of the campus pool and track field. The dark haired man held out his hand to Seungyoun and shook his hair away from his eyes.

"Im Seungwoo, astrophysicist" he smiled, something about the way he carried himself Seungyoun thought was quite familiar. 

"Im Seungyoun..accountant but very interested in astrophysics" Seungyoun replied nervously, scratching the back of his head. 

"Ah please sit down you guys, I can order us take out if you want?" Seungwoo offered and pulled out an extra chair from his desk. 

"I actually have to get going" Yohan informed and ruffled Seungyouns hair before heading to the door, "he may get quite annoying you've been warned." He gave Seungyoun a thumbs up and disappeared down the hallway. 

"Well I guess it's just us then" Seungwoo chuckled. 

"It's almost dinner you want to go down to this pizza place on 9th avenue ?" Seungyoun suggested while looking at the time on his phone. He had no idea when became this bold, especially with a complete stranger. 

"uh sure" Seungwoo beamed, he was quite taken back by the sudden offer as nobody really went out of their way to hang out with him, especially in this town. But he quickly reminded himself that this was solely for business, and Seungyoun might not really see him as a friend. 

The pair got into a cab in silence, unsure of what to say to each other until they finally arrived at the pizza place. Seungwoo offered to pay for the cab and they managed to get a table on the rooftop, which was already filled with couples instead of the usual noisy families. 

"Why astrophysics ?" Seungwoo finally asked as he chugged down his drink. 

Seungyoun bit down on his lip and unconsciously let his eyes wonder to the Observatory on top of the hill. Seungwoo's eyes followed trying to find what captivated Seungyoun. 

"You're a fan of space travel or-" 

"Yeah im a fan" Seungyoun answered with a smile. "I visited the space station and one of the workers there gave me a guidebook, it got me hooked."

Seungwoo nodded his smile growing as he enjoyed conversations about the thing he loved most. Besides teaching of course, Seungwoo was always drawn to the great unknown. He loved his research and he loved sharing his findings with his students. 

"How would you like to set up this tutoring situation then ?" Seungwoo inquired as he pulled out his journal which had his schedule drawn out. 

"I was hoping around 7pm til about 9?" Seungyoun proposed, he knew he had his own schedule with Hangyul that he did not want to mess up. "Should I pay now or after the first lesson ?"

Seungwoo chuckled awkwardly and waved his hands. "I'm just a pHD student doing a part time job right now, you don't have to pay."

"I am using up your time though are you sure?" Seungyoun cautioned and Seungwoo laughed again this time his cheeks reddened.

"This is embarrassing but I really don't have a life outside of university so you would be doing me a favor" he insisted and this made Seungyoun join in on the laughter. 

"Okay then, maybe I could show you around town and we can study ?" He offered, becoming a bit more comfortable in Seungwoo's presence. He felt relaxed after a long time and honestly he really did need to get out more. 

"I'd like that" Seungwoo agreed, both boys shaking hands to seal their decision.


	7. crossroads

"I swear I did not look at the answer!" 

"You kinda did Seungyoun"

"blindfold me then!"

Seungwoo cocked his head to the side and smirked, knowing how competitive Seungyoun had become in order to finish his exam. It had been five short months since their first meeting and Seungwoo couldn't believe how they connected almost instantly. They had hung out everyday after his lessons, and after Seungyoun completed one of his clients tax books for the day. It went from just studying to movie hangouts, museum visits and even a drunken sleepover. But he also knew Seungyoun had hid a part of his life, a little piece that he could never be introduced to. Yohan described it to him as an old friend who moved away, and Seungwoo decided to respect his privacy, stopping Yohan from sharing any more details. 

"You really want me to blindfold you ?" Seungwoo mused as he pulled out a tie from his closet and approached Seungyouns frame. He held up the tie and carefully tied it over Seungyoun's eyes, allowing his fingers to brush through Seungyoun's dark hair. 

"Now you will know that I am not a cheater" Seungyoun grinned before hearing the doorbell ring. 

"I wonder who that could be" Seungwoo mumbled and walked over to his door as Seungyoun dropped the blindfold curious about Seungwoo's random visitor. 

He watched Seungwoo chat for a while before turning around and face him, an apologetic look spread across his face. 

"I have to moderate an exam, you wanna go for chicken and beer at the pier later?" Seungwoo asked sweetly, grabbing his lab coat from its hook. 

Seungyoun smiled as he packed away his stuff and met Seungwoo at the door. 

"Sure, but you're paying."

Seungyoun decided to head to the observatory since he had been so busy lately and he missed two days of his routine check in. For once he was praying that there were no messages from Hangyul since he was greeted with a very angry voice message a few weeks ago at the Space Station. 

"Seungyoun I thought we made a deal, why have you not replied to any of my codes ? I sent a bunch to let you know our video messages weren't sending through and we might lose connection again over the next few weeks."

He could hear the obvious annoyance in Hangyul's voice message but to be fair, he did reply to most of the codes but during one of the weeks the Observatory was under construction and Seungyoun had no access to the computer. 

"Im really going to beat you up when I get back Seungyoun. I think you found someone new to hang out with and you're ignoring me. Anyway answer my codes before we lose connection again."

It hurt Seungyoun to know that Hangyul's hunch was indeed correct and that he had been spending all his time with Seungwoo. But he decided to keep it a secret, from the both of them. He had no idea why, but he felt it would mess up the dynamic and the way he was living right now, was probably one of the best feelings he has had in a long time. 

Seungwoo was different to Hangyul but also shared a few characteristics that Seungyoun enjoyed. He loved that Seungwoo was nerdy, but he would go out of his way to try out something new with him. Seungwoo was also very patient and affectionate when it came to Seungyoun's studying and progress. He would always praise him and encourage him to move out of his bubble and explore more possibilities, for both his career and himself. 

Seungyoun approached the computer and noticed just two unread messages from Hangyul. He grabbed his notebook and deciphered the messages with ease. These kind of things were now a walk in the park for him. 

\- satellites fixed - Captain says we will be making our route back to earth soon. - H 

\- cant wait to see your stupid face. Tell parents I love them. - H 

Seungyoun quickly typed in his code before the connection went out, feeling much lighter knowing that their expedition was moving smoothly and that they'd be home soon. 

\- stay safe. Will let parents know you're coming home soon. - S

Seungyoun packed away his notebook and threw a sheet over the monitor before heading down to meet Seungwoo at the pier. Even though his mood was evidently improving over these months, today seemed to be one of the best. He got great news from Hangyul and within a few months, he'll have him back home. 

"Hey I ordered our food, I set up a place for us down there" Seungwoo smiled as Seungyoun embraced him into a tight hug which caught Seungwoo off guard.

"Wow you seem to be in a good mood today" he chuckled. 

"I am and im really hungry" Seungyoun grinned and followed Seungwoo onto the beach where he had a picnic blanket laid out and a night light. 

The delivery man soon appeared and gifted the two boys with their order and they immediately dug into the hot meal. Seungyoun cracked open two cans of beer and handed one of them to Seungwoo as they watched the waves meet the shore. 

"Do you bring all your dates here ?" Seungyoun teased and fluttered his lashes at Seungwoo. 

"ugh shut up" Seungwoo rolled his eyes playfully and took a swig of his drink. 

"Its nice though" Seungyoun pursed his lips and stared up at the stars "I dont know what I would've been doing if I hadn't met you Seungwoo."

Seungwoo eyes raised as he heard the heartfelt words from his friend and looked over at Seungyoun who seemed completely lost in stars much like the night they first had dinner together. 

"What do you mean ? were you in a bad place ?"

"Bad would be an understatement" Seungyoun scoffed and turned to Seungwoo, watching the same stars he watched in the sky now twinkle in Seungwoo's eyes

"I know I can be stubborn and annoying but thanks for putting up with me when no one else would." 

Seungwoo found himself move closer until their shoulders touched and felt his heart beat rapidly at the energy now flowing between them. Seungyoun on the other hand played it cool, as he was used to being close with Seungwoo especially after he had allowed him to stay over a few times. 

"You were there for me too" Seungwoo whispered and reached for Seungyoun's hand. 

Seungyoun watched as Seungwoo inched closer finally realizing what was happening and he felt his face heat up. He had no idea why Seungwoo would feel this way about someone like him but he felt guilty for leading him on. He did admit that he liked the way he felt around Seungwoo but he was not Hangyul. 

He was not Hangyul. 

Seungyoun gulped and realized what that man had mentioned in the space station about falling in love. He was in love with Hangyul. He wanted to be with Hangyul so much because he was desperately in love with him, and only him. 

"Seungyoun, I really like you" Seungwoo whispered, "you really made this the most amazing five months of my life."

Seungyoun watched as Seungwoo closed his eyes and mimicked his actions, allowing someone who just walked into his life steal a kiss that belonged to someone else.


	8. Uncertainty

* * *

“I got to go” Seungyoun mumbled and quickly jumped to his feet. His eyes stayed glued to the ground, he couldn’t bare to look Seungwoo in the eyes. Seungwoo stood up, concern filled his face as he approached Seungyoun, internally beating himself up for crossing the line with him.

“Seungyoun I’m sorry I just-”

“It’s not your fault” Seungyoun quickly responded and ran his fingers through his hair trying to figure out his next move. “I just need a little space.”

Seungwoo watched as Seungyoun stumbled away from him into the darkness, towards the cafe on the top of the promenade. He couldn’t help but hate himself. Why did he have to bring his feelings into this perfectly set friendship?

Seungyoun found himself a cab and made his route back to the observatory. He touched his lips, the taste of Seungwoo still lingering made him feel guilty. Not only to Hangyul, but to Seungwoo too. The only person he thought to blame, was himself.

He jumped out of the cab and ran up to the observatory, pulling off the sheet and began typing in a code to Hangyul, not realizing that there was already an unread message from his friend.

“He is using the computer right now ?!” Seungyoun quizzed and frantically pulled out the code book and translated it into his book.

I usually don’t reply this fast but I was just thinking about you lol -H

Seungyoun wiped the tears that unknowingly started to fall from his eyes and desperately tried to communicate with Hangyul as fast as he could before the connection went out.

Hangyul I need to tell you something ? - S

  
Oh ? You’re still awake! I can’t believe this - H

  
Hangyul I realized something I just need to tell you - S

  
Hurry up - H

Seungyoun bit down on his lip and rewrote his message over a dozen times before hitting send, his heart rate picking up once he saw his own words spread across the screen.

Hangyul I’m in love with you. Today I realized it. I’m clingy because I Love you. I miss you, I want to spend all my time with you. Nobody else but you. - S

Seungyoun watched the screen, almost 20 minutes had passed, Hangyul was still online but there was no indication of him replying to Seungyoun at all.

Hangyul please say something - S

Hangyul even if you don’t feel the same way just say something please - S

Seungyoun’s hands began to shake as he desperately tried to get an answer from Hangyul. The three typing dots finally appeared and Seungyouns bloodshot eyes scanned the screen, hoping for a sign of reassurance.

Seungyoun....I cant. &$2@$21 1&@$ 1$ &11 / $&@2@3 1 /@“3 /!/ 2 - H

“What ?” Seungyoun watched the red light turn off, Hangyuls connection was turned off and the screen faded to blank.

“no no no no” Seungyoun desperately hit the side of the monitor, trying to regain a connection but there was no response.

Seungyoun slumped onto the floor and sobbed uncontrollably. He pulled his knees to his chest and wished he never said anything.

‘Seungyoun I cant’

The words whirled around his mind, repeating like a mantra. Everything he ever wanted now disappeared into thin air, his hopes his dreams his future - everything crumbled beneath him.

——————

Seungyoun found himself back in his room. He had no idea how he had the energy to find his way back but he still felt lifeless. His phone buzzed numerous times, he knew it was probably Seungwoo or Yohan but he would rather not make yet another person upset with his actions.

“Seungyoun!” His mother yelled from downstairs, “Hangyuls parents are here, they want to take you to the space station it’s important.”

He felt a lump in his throat and found the energy to rush downstairs, finding Hangyuls parents in the kitchen, both their faces were unreadable.

“What’s going on ?” Seungyoun croaked, trying to hide the fact that he had been crying for the past three hours.

“We’re not sure but the space station said we should head there for an announcement” Hangyul’s dad explained steadily and Seungyoun nodded, grabbing his coat from the rack.

The three finally reached the space station in silence. None of them knew what to expect. Seungyoun just hoped it was about them arriving safely within the next month and their expedition was a success.

All the families gathered in the meeting room and the head of the space station stepped in front of the crowd, his solemn expression made Seungyoun feel uneasy.

“Sorry to call everyone so unexpectedly, but unfortunately we don’t have good news to share today” he began, and adjusted his reading glasses as he looked at his notes.

Seungyoun flinched as Hangyuls mother grabbed onto his hand tightly and he returned a squeeze, trying to show support even thought he was a mere second away from crumbling.

“The astronauts have successfully completed their expedition, but while re-routing the space craft may have entered a black hole or headed for another planet were not exactly sure. But we do have news that they’re still alive, their engines are still in fact running and the captain did send out a signal about the issue”

The captains words were droned out by gasps and whimpers from family members upon hearing the news. None of them knew the stakes but being lost in space did not sound like it will get resolved in a short amount of time.

“Uhm s-sir” one of the older men at the back raised his hand. “What is the expected time for them to reroute and find earth ?”

Everyone in the room tensed up, eager to hear the Captains calculations, looking for any kind of hope at this point.

“NASA estimated it would take them about 6 months to reroute” the captain replied cautiously.

“That would be 3-4 years earth time.”

A loud cry filled the room, followed by more yells and screams from their families and loved ones. Hangyuls mother completely broke down as her husband pulled her into his arms and tried to console her.

Seungyoun’s throat went dry. His eyes were numb and his body was cold. The last message he got from Hangyul was when their space craft possibly went out of orbit. His last message was him telling Seungyoun that he didn’t feel the same way and there was no way he could work around this new estimated time knowing the reality that even if Hangyul got back, things may never be the same.

Seungyoun patted Hangyuls parents on the back and walked out of the room. He needed to be far away from all the crying and heartbreak. He now needed to be consoled. He was tired of being the one everybody was leaning on for support. Tired of being the better person. It was now his turn to be weak.

He opened up his phone and dialed the only person who could take his pain away, even if it was for a second.

“ hello Seungwoo ?” He stammered, “can we meet at your place ?”


	9. Headspace

Seungyoun found himself leaning against the doorframe of Seungwoo’s apartment, his legs barely holding him up. He managed to knock just once, and Seungwoo opened the door greeted by Seungyoun’s tall frame immediately falling into his arms. 

Seungyoun sobbed. 

He had no strength to keep up the facade he had with everyone. Every little thing that had been building up had finally come out and he knew that the only person who would take care of him in his time of need was Seungwoo. Seungwoo held onto him and stroked his hair, kicking his door closed in the process and brought Seungyoun to his bed. 

“Do you want to talk about it ?” Seungwoo whispered as he allowed Seungyoun to bury his head in his lap. 

“not right now” mumbled Seungyoun in between his whimpers. Seungwoo nodded and allowed Seungyoun to cry in peace while he stroked his head. It hurt him to see Seungyoun like this but he knew it wasn’t about them. Even though he refrained from hearing details of this other friend, Seungwoo knew that this person was the cause of many habits of Seungyoun. The spacing out, the late nights at the observatory and just the mention of the friend turns Seungyoun into a completely different person. 

Night fall finally approached and Seungwoo decided to order kimchi jiggae which was one of Seungyoun’s favorite dishes. Seungwoo grabbed his cellphone as he watched Seungyoun sleep peacefully under the blankets and wished he could do more. 

“Hi can I get two orders of kimchi jiggae and a cider please” Seungwoo spoke to the delivery service as the sound of His voice made Seungyoun shift his position in bed. 

After placing his order Seungwoo sat beside Seungyouns curled up figure and placed a soft pat on his shoulder. 

“Did I disturb you ? I was just getting us dinner. You should eat Seungyoun” 

“mmm” Seungyoun groaned. 

“I got your favorite” 

“I know” Seungyoun murmured and lifted the blanket off his head, rubbing his tired eyes. 

Seungwoo quickly grabbed a wet wipe and began removing the dried up tears from Seungyouns eyes. 

Seungyoun laughed dryly and helped himself to the wet wipe. “Thank you Seungwoo, as always.” 

Seungwoo bit down on his lip and found himself twirling his fingers in his lap avoiding Seungyoun’s gaze. After that night on the beach he had no idea how to approach the subject let alone pretend as if everything was back to normal. 

“I just got really bad news this morning, I’m sorry I keep burdening you with my problems especially since I hate talking about it” Seungyoun sighed. 

“You can’t have it both ways you know” Seungwoo mumbled under his breath. 

“I realize that now” Seungyoun quickly responded and grabbed Seungwoos hand.   
“Yesterday I panicked because I was holding onto something that’s clearly not there anymore.” 

“Seungyoun if you really cared about me I think now would be a good time to tell me everything” 

“Everything ?” 

“Everything” Seungwoo asserted. 

Seungyoun began right at the beginning from when Hangyul told him about the space station up until the announcement the Space Station made hours ago. He made sure to be completely honest this time, he owed it to Seungwoo. 

“Wow” Seungwoo’s brows furrowed at the complex story understanding why Seungyoun was distant with him at times and why he decided to keep it a secret from him. 

“If you realized you love him, are you sure he doesn’t love you back ?” 

“He told me he didn’t feel the same way” Seungyoun scratched the back of his head. Saying it still stung but he was coming to terms with it. 

“Seungyoun I’m not going to be a rebound until he gets back” Seungwoo pointed out, 

“As much as I like you, I would still have to deal with you running to the observatory or the space station whenever Hangyul called.” 

“That’s why I’m going to leave to Daegu with you” 

“What??” 

“I need to live my life Seungwoo, I think there are better job aspects there and honestly if I’m starting fresh the only constant I really want is you” Seungyoun persisted, moving closer to Seungwoo. 

Seungwoo watched Seungyoun lean his head against his shoulder and wrap his hands tightly around his arm. 

“What about Hangyul...he is still your best friend” Seungwoo murmured. 

“I’ll get important updates from his parents not sure I want to see him when he lands though” Seungyoun pouted. 

“You will see him again” Seungwoo smiled, “I’m sorry I can’t be like this Hangyul guy.” 

Seungyoun startled Seungwoo by pulling him down onto the bed until he was hovering above his figure. Seungwoo gulped as Seungyoun studied his face, tracing his fingers along his jaw and up to his hairline. 

“You don’t need to be Hangyul” Seungyoun whispered, “I like Han Seungwoo. the guy who likes iced americanos, who loves collecting postcards from gift shops, the guy for some weird reason loves to keep a loser like me in his company.” 

Seungwoo neared Seungyoun until their lips were just about to graze when the door bell rang causing the both of them to sigh. 

“Kimchi jijjae for two” the man shouted from outside. 

———————

The boys got done with their meal and decided to climb back into bed as Seungyoun still felt uneasy. Even though he closed his eyes, he could not fall asleep. Luckily he felt protected by Seungwoo who wrapped both arms around him and his warm breath touching his neck was oddly soothing. 

“Things are going to get better I process” Seungwoo pressed lips against Seungyoun’s temple. 

Seungyoun responded by grabbing onto Seungwoo’s arms and pulled him closer. 

In a few weeks he was going to pack up his life and move to a new city. Four years was long and Seungyoun knew that waiting was not going to speed time up nor fix his confession to Hangyul. He had to face an inevitable reality and in order to move on with his life, he had to leave a little piece of it behind.


	10. Understanding

"keep your eyes shut!" Seungwoo warned from the kitchen as he lit a 25 cake topper candle. Seungwoo carefully stepped into the dining area where his boyfriend squirmed impatiently in his seat. 

"Okay open! Happy birthday" he announced, pulling out his cellphone in order to capture the moment. 

"I told you that you didn't have to go through all this trouble" Seungyoun pouted but couldn't help but smile at the galaxy themed cake. He shut his eyes and began to decide on what his wish was going to be this year.

'Hangyul return home safely' he repeated in his head for the third year in a row. 

Seungyoun blew out the candles and stood up to properly thank Seungwoo for spoiling him once again. He snaked his arms around Seungwoo's neck and pulled him in for a sweet kiss. Seungwoo responded by wrapping his arm around Seungyoun's waist and whispered into his ear. 

"I have a surprise for you" 

Seungwoo grabbed Seungyoun's hand and led him upstairs, until they were standing beneath the attic entrance. 

"You're showing me our attic ?" Seungyoun raised his brow as Seungwoo pulled down the wooden ladder and gestured for Seungyoun to enter first. 

"Just get up there" Seungwoo groaned. 

Seungyoun rolled his eyes playfully and headed upstairs, greeted by a completely new and decorated room. The room had Seungwoo's chalkboard and various projects lying around. Along with a brand new telescope, Seungyoun noticed a desk in the corner with a familiar cloth draped over it. 

"Is that.." 

"I had Yohan help me bring it over" Seungwoo explained as he draped his arm around Seungyoun, "I figured you'd want to start checking the messages again since it has been almost three years now."

"Seungwoo this is great but there's no news this seems pointless and I dont want to hurt you by-"

"Hey" Seungwoo cupped Seungyoun's face in his hands, "I did this for you. Its not going to hurt me I promise."

Seungyoun gave in and nodded as he took a few steps closer to the computer. 

"Ill give you a moment, i'm going to go shower" Seungwoo smiled and made his way back downstairs. 

Seungyoun gulped as he tore off the cloth and looked at the familiar equipment. The pain from three years ago now revisited him. He knew the space station had not been in contact with their space craft for a while now, and all they ever heard was that the shuttle was online, just not in radar yet. 

The first thought that came into Seungyoun's mind when he heard those words were how much food could they have left ? When will be the day they eventually run out of oxygen ? These thoughts ate him up almost everyday that it began messing with his sleep patterns once again.

Seungyoun switched on the computer and exhaled deeply as it began booting up and searched for a connection. 

Nothing.

His eyes followed the tracker as it beeped, only able to pick up random satellites instead of any sign of a space craft. The message bar still showed the last few messages that they sent the night Hangyul had lost contact. 

"You promised you'd come back you moron" Seungyoun muttered and reached into his pocket, pulling out the NASA pin Hangyul had gifted him. 

Seungyoun sighed and threw the cloth back onto the computer and walked over to the brand new telescope that pointed straight out of the circular attic window. They were lucky enough to buy a house that sat on high terrain, and were able to get a good view of the sun rising and resting on the horizon. 

Seungyoun adjusted the settings on the telescope and peered through the looking glass, astounded by the clarity it provided as well as an accurate navigation system unlike the one he used back at the observatory. 

"At least this will come in handy soon enough, I just need to get a bigger lens" He pursed his lips and jotted down a few notes in his memo pad. 

He switched off the attic lights and made his way back downstairs, heading for the bedroom. Seungyoun was greeted by Seungwoo who was already tucked into bed with his reading glasses and one of his recent book purchases. 

"Found anything?" Seungwoo asked sweetly as Seungyoun threw himself onto the bed and snuggled closer to him. 

"Not really, the telescope is amazing though thank you" Seungyoun cooed, placing a soft peck on Seungwoo's chest. 

"Glad you like it I just want you to still do what you love" Seungwoo replied, stroking Seungyoun's hair. 

"hmm?" Seungyoun mumbled. 

"Astrophysics, its your hobby remember ? that's how you met me"

"right" Seungyoun chuckled nervously and rolled off the bed in order to change into his sleepwear. 

Seungwoo cocked his head as he brought himself up to a seated position and watched as his boyfriend avoided the conversation. 

"It was your hobby right Seungyoun ?" He questioned. 

"Yeah of course thats why I called you" Seungyoun shrugged and disappeared into the bathroom to wash his face. 

Seungwoo knew when Seungyoun purposely avoided a subject and usually the reasoning would be it was related to Hangyul. He pressed his lips together and thought back to when Yohan first texted him and the dates following with Seungyoun. He never really questioned why Seungyoun was interested in astrophysics even after he found out about Hangyul. He assumed Hangyul was an engineer of course because that would be the reason he would even be an astronaut in the first place, but in some special cases they did hire people with different expertise. 

"Seungyoun, did Hangyul major in astrophysics ?" Seungwoo asked in a small voice when Seungyoun finally emerged from the bathroom. 

"Yeah he did" Seungyoun simply replied. 

"That was all for ...him ?" Seungwoo felt hurt. He thought it may not be a big deal since they did get along despite the tutoring, but it still hurt that he was doing everything for someone else. 

"I got into it on my own, but maybe it was for him, shit Seungwoo its been years can we let it go ? I dont even know why you would bring that stupid computer anyway" Seungyoun snapped. 

Seungwoo nodded. He knew the computer set up could of triggered him because of the last memory linked with it, but he also knew that Seungyoun needed it. Every night he would hear him sob, whisper Hangyul's name and Seungwoo would have to pretend as if everything was okay. 

"Im sorry" Seungwoo apologized. He did not have the energy for this nor did he want this to turn sour very quickly. Instead he turned off his reading light and slid back into the covers hoping to just fall asleep. 

Seungyoun too knew it was better to just walk away than create a problem neither of them wanted. 

"Im gonna go for a drive, I'll see you at breakfast" He murmured, grabbing his coat and headed out into the winter night to try and clear his mind.


	11. found

Since that night both Seungwoo and Seungyoun knew that as much as they tried, Hangyul would always be the lingering question in the air. Seungyoun did appreciate the lengths that Seungwoo would go for him, but he could not stand knowing that his feelings for Hangyul would never change. 

Especially when his gut feeling knew that Hangyul was still alive and out there. 

It was now reaching seven years since their expedition and around the fourth year, NASA pronounced them missing and shut down their radars. Seungyoun remembered the call very clearly. Hangyul's father broke the news to him while his wife sobbed in the background. But the feeling of loss did not reach Seungyoun as much as he tried to accept it. 

He did give up on the computer codes though. It always reminded him of that night and he could not bare to look at that screen knowing that was the last thing Hangyul had received from him. 

Seungyoun was on his way from work when he decided to be a good boyfriend for once and get an expensive gift for Seungwoo. Today was their 5th anniversary and even though they were both not into the marriage thing, he settled on a ring. 

It felt more like an apology for being the world's worst boyfriend rather than an anniversary gift. Seungyoun picked out a platinum silver band, and engraved an S with a heart on the inside of it before swiping his card and making his way home. 

Back home Seungwoo was working on one of his latest projects. He decided to keep it a secret from Seungyoun since it involved Hangyul's whereabouts. With special permission Seungwoo was able to collect the expedition coordinates and try to work out where the space craft could possibly be. 

"come on come on" he groaned as he did an equation on his whiteboard and plotted his answer on the map in front of him. 

Seungwoo took a swig of coffee and ruffled his dark hair as the numbers on the board slowly became nonsense to him. 

"What am I missing" he whined as he read through all of his notes, "what were they doing just before they moved off route....BINGO"

Seungwoo threw the cloth that covered Seungyoun's computer and immediately dove into the messages that was shared between Hangyul and Seungyoun that night. Seungwoo's eyes drifted to the message Seungyoun confessed in and remembered the night he was left alone on the beach. It was since then he had to realize that he would always be second place to Seungyoun, no matter the circumstance. 

Seungwoo jotted down Hangyul's code and worked out the coordinates on the whiteboard, trying to take his mind off his heartbreak and focus on getting the astronauts back home. 

"I...figured it out" Seungwoo exclaimed, "I figured it out I know where they are!" 

"Seungwoo?" Seungyoun called from downstairs as he entered their living room. 

"Im upstairs! come here quickly!" Seungwoo shouted excitedly. 

"What are you doing-"

"I know where the space craft is! I know where they are!" Seungwoo beamed and grabbed Seungyoun into a tight hug. 

Seungyoun frowned unsure what Seungwoo was talking about until he peeped over his shoulder and looked at all of his work spread out on the whiteboard. He had every detail of Hangyul's spacecraft mapped out. He had never seen work this intricate since he'd been at the space station. 

"Seungwoo how did you- wow" Seungyoun's mouth dropped as he got closer to the board and saw how Seungwoo managed to plot out an exact location based on NASA's check-ins over five years. 

"Im a genius I know" Seungwoo smirked. 

"More than a genius I think you could win a nobel peace prize for this!" Seungyoun exclaimed, he couldn't believe Seungwoo was capable of more than he ever imagined. He was definitely smarter than anyone at NASA. 

"Im going to call NASA and Seoul Space Station and send over my work, then we can try figure out Hangyul's codes?" 

"No, after you call the station im taking you out for dinner" Seungyoun commanded and held onto Seungwoo's hand,

"Not only are we celebrating you being smarter than everyone on this earth, its still our anniversary."

Seungwoo was touched that Seungyoun still tried to make him happy, no matter what. He thought that after news such as this, Seungyoun could not wait to go back to Seoul and return to his old schedule. 

"Okay i'll meet you downstairs in an hour" He smiled and pecked Seungyoun on the cheek. 

\---------

After Seungwoo's agonizing long phone call and a quick video call, the two finally made their way downtown where Seungyoun reserved a table at one of the best eatery's in the city. 

"What did the captain say ?" Seungyoun asked as he stuffed his mouth with garlic bread. 

"Well he didnt believe me at first until they saw my calculations" Seungwoo chuckled, 

"NASA confirmed after using my coordinates that the spacecraft was indeed receiving the extra oxygen tanks and food, at first they assumed the dispatch was destroyed by a comet storm."

"If the oxygen is reaching them why are their signals still out?" Seungyoun quizzed. 

Seungwoo shook his head and let out a sigh. 

"Thats just it. We all assumed that they're lost in space, we did not consider the possibility that they could've found a planet safe enough to land on which would allow them to save their supplies, but the planet's atmosphere could be messing around with many variables such as signals or time."

Seungyoun was blown away by how Seungwoo explained their situation so effortlessly. 

"I really should've paid you for those tutoring lessons" Seungyoun giggled and Seungwoo joined in. 

"Dinner right now is good enough" Seungwoo blushed, as Seungyoun kept boasting about him. 

"Which reminds me" Seungyoun cleared his throat and reached into his pocket. "I have been the single worst boyfriend of all time and you the guy who is smarter than Einstein himself dont deserve someone like me" he pursed his lips and held out the gift box. 

Seungwoo rolled his eyes playfully and opened the gift, his face growing into a larger smile as he noticed the little engraving inside of the ring. 

"S for Seungwoo or Seungyoun ?" he raised his brow. 

"Seungyoun of course" Seungyoun huffed and placed the ring on Seungwoo's finger. "I know were not into that sort of commitment but I thought it would be nice to get you something special in order to show you how much you mean to me." 

"Well I do have to deal with your moody ass all the time" Seungwoo grumbled.

"Exactly" Seungyoun chuckled, "No matter what happens Seungwoo, please remember that I do love you and I always will."

Seungwoo nodded at his words. Their love may not be the same kind of love towards each other but it was still love. 

"I'll always love you too Seungyoun."


	12. parting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for not posting in a while! I had a lot of work to do!  
> we only have a few chapters left!! Ill try to finish it as soon as possible!

Seungyoun hunched over Seungwoo as he booted up the computer and began searching for missing codes that the space craft may had sent over the years. Seungyoun was nervous mainly concerned about Hangyul's situation - his feelings needed a break for a day. 

"This may take a while" Seungwoo hummed as he browsed through pages of broken codes. They had to retrieve almost 7 years of possible messages and it could help make the rescue mission more efficient if they could just crack the system. 

"Wait, that green light is on" Seungyoun's eyes widened as he pointed at the corner of the screen "When I needed to receive the messages, Hangyul told me that it needs to be green."

Seungwoo pushed his glasses up and peered at the screen. With a few more clicks and codes they were finally greeted by over 5000 messages sent from the space craft. Seungyoun felt a shiver down his spine as he saw Hangyul's name pop up, his messages documented the entire trip after he had lost contact. 

Seungwoo scrolled up to the beginning where the messages between Hangyul and Seungyoun were exchanged that night. His eyes skimmed across and his heart dropped. 

'Seungyoun I cant believe you finally admitted it. Now when you're so far away I wish I could slap you. Ive always felt the same way, I love you so so much - H' 

Seungwoo pushed himself away from the computer and patted Seungyoun on his back. 

"I'll give you some time alone...to process everything" Seungwoo halfheartedly smiled and left the room. 

Seungyoun was still frozen in his position as he read Hangyul's message, the one he misinterpreted over and over again. 

"he felt the same way" He whispered under his breath and slumped into the seat and scanned over the rest of the messages. 

' Seungyoun are you there ? I think we lost connection'

'im so scared, I have no idea what's going on I miss you so much'

'please dont be mad at me. We are trying everything to come back home'

'Even though you're not getting my messages, please dont forget me. Please dont. Im still here.'

Seungyoun's eyes filled with tears as he scanned through every emotion Hangyul went through. Some days he was upset. Other days he would talk about memories back on earth. He continued to study the stars and the planets they came across. He still cared so much about Seungyoun, he got Hangyul through a rough time without even being there with him.

'Were heading for an undocumented planet and the captain warned us about the possibility of a time shift. I overheard him say we may be here for minutes which could be decades on earth. I hope you're still you when I get back Seungyoun, I love you.'

That was the last message Hangyul had sent and it because of the time shift it was impossible to track when he had sent it. It could be two weeks ago or three years ahead on earth. 

Seungyoun propped his elbows up on the desk and prayed as hard as he could. 

"please let them be safe please let them come home" He begged and suddenly felt a warm hand on his head. 

"Seungyoun I called NASA" Seungwoo murmured. 

Seungyoun lifted his head, pivoting his body toward Seungwoo his eyes still shaking from the tears that continuously fell. 

"They're all alive, the connection is back online. the rescue mission is on course" Seungwoo said, fighting back his own tears as Seungyoun jumped into his arms and they held each other in a tight embrace. 

"Seungwoo this would not have worked if it wasn't for you, thank you so much" Seungyoun wept into Seungwoo's shoulder. 

"It was the right thing to do" Seungwoo replied and rubbed Seungyoun's back before pulling away from him. 

Seungyoun stepped back as he noticed Seungwoo's demeanor change and he noticed how Seungwoo refrained from making eye contact with him. 

"W-what's wrong ?" Seungyoun stuttered. 

"You have to go now Seungyoun" Seungwoo pursed his lips. 

"What are you s-"

Seungwoo sighed deeply. "You need to go back to Seoul and see Hangyul."

"You have to come with this is all of your work you need to-"

"Seungyoun I cant"

"Why ?!" Seungyoun shouted and suddenly noticed an envelope in Seungwoo's hand. 

"W-what is that ?" Seungyoun's voice shook as he pointed at the letter. 

Seungwoo bit down on his lip and felt as if his heart was about to explode. He lifted the envelope and Seungyoun noticed a U.S NASA seal on the front. 

"They offered me a job at NASA and im going to take it."

Seungyoun didn't know how to feel. He just received news that his best friend was finally coming home, and now the person whom he learned to love over the past couple of years was now going to leave him. 

"You have Hangyul, there is no room for me now" Seungwoo murmured, "Its unnecessary for me to stay where i'm not needed."

"I need you..." Seungyoun whispered as Seungwoo's words stung him. It was true that he filled a void that Seungyoun missed from Hangyul. He hated himself for allowing Seungwoo to waste his life with someone like him. 

"It's okay, I'll be okay" Seungwoo forced a smile and reached for his necklace which he carried with him throughout his life. Seungwoo stood behind Seungyoun and placed the stainless steel piece around his neck, and placed a soft peck on his forehead. 

"Happy anniversary Seungyoun, let's keep in touch."


	13. arrival

Seungyoun's stomach turned as he sat in the train, making his way back to Seoul. He had not been back since him and Seungwoo decided to leave many years ago and never thought he'd be heading home. 

He arrived at the station grinning from ear to ear as he noticed Yohan leaning against a vending machine still dressed in his usual sweater vest and caprice pants. 

"Damn Seungyoun you are getting old" Yohan teased earning a playful punch from Seungyoun as he helped him with his luggage. 

"You saw me a year ago idiot" Seungyoun groaned, jumping into the passenger seat of Yohan's car. 

Seungyoun noticed a small ID sized picture taped to Yohan's dashboard of a little girl. He couldn't believe Yohan was a dad already, it seemed like his years moved much slower than his friends. 

"How is Yejinnie ?" Seungyoun asked as they made their way to their neighborhood in the heat of summer. 

"She'll be two soon, but I swear she has the intelligence of a seven year old" Yohan boasted.

"All parents think their kids are geniuses"

"She really is!" Yohan insisted pulling into Seungyoun's parents driveway. 

They jumped out of the car, each grabbing Seungyoun's luggage and made their way into his parents house. Seungyoun felt a sense of comfort once he saw that his house was more or less the same as well as his parents who he'd always find cooking and chatting away in the kitchen.

"My son!" Seungyoun's mother ran and pulled him into a tight embrace. She peeped over her son's shoulder and frowned when she saw just Yohan emerge from the foyer. 

"Where's Seungwoo ? Is he working late ?" she asked. 

"Seungwoo and I are done mom" Seungyoun murmured and set his bags down. "After he figured out Hangyul's location NASA offered him a permanent position in the States and he took it."

Everyone in the room went quiet, unsure of what to say. Yohan had a hunch this was coming especially if Hangyul was coming home. He just hoped Seungwoo handled it well. 

"I was a jerk to him anyways he deserved better" Seungyoun muttered and ran his hand angrily through his hair. 

"Everything happens for a reason sweetheart" Seungyoun's mom comforted him. He nodded in response, taking a seat at the counter where his parents had already prepared a small meal. 

Seungyoun was thankful his parents nor Yohan brought up Seungwoo again. He had a hard time saying goodbye to him as they parted ways at the airport last night. He admired Seungwoo for always having a smile on his face despite all the problems he had put him through. He just wished it didn't have to end the way it did. 

"Do you know if they've landed yet ?" Yohan asked as he flipped through the news channels. 

"The space station said only once they've gone through a few medical tests and rehabilitation will they notify us about it" Seungyoun replied as he bit down into a dumpling

"The mission might cause a bit of a stir so it wont be aired on tv or introduced to the public since there might be....issues."

"Issues ? what kind of issues ?" Seungyoun's dad raised an eyebrow. 

Seungyoun swallowed hard as he remembered the messages Hangyul had sent to him over the years. 

"There could be physical changes since they were on a different planet with a different atmosphere. The possibilities could be weight, a new strain of sensitivity and aging. They could come back as completely different people" Seungyoun explained. His own words made him wonder if Hangyul would ever be the same. 

Time flew by and all of them sat in the lounge in silence awaiting the call from the station. A news channel happened to catch an Identified object landing near Japan a few days ago and Seungyoun was almost certain it was the rescue craft. 

Suddenly his phone lit up and Seungyoun froze as he saw Hangyul's dads name pop up on his screen. Yohan and Seungyoun's parents huddled around Seungyoun as he picked up the call.

"Yes..uh huh..yes Im here...okay..yes see you soon" Seungyoun answered and ended the call. 

"Well ?" Yohan's eyebrows raised. 

"He did land, he passed his medical we are able to meet him now" Seungyoun said as a wide smile spread on his face and the tears of absolute joy begun rushing down his face. 

Seungyoun fell to his knees, his face buried in his mother's lap as his dad and Yohan wrapped their arms around him. A moment they thought would never come had finally become a reality. 

"Should I change or" Seungyoun stood up and wiped his face knowing he probably looked like a mess. 

"You look fine darling just wash your face" his mother chuckled helping him clean up his teary eyes. 

Before he knew it Seungyoun was in the car with Hangyul's parents and the nostalgia hit him hard. It felt much like the day they drove Hangyul to the station to take part in this mission, almost eight years ago. 

As they pulled up they noticed a stir of media representatives crowding the front of the building but luckily enough they were given special permission to enter around the back where it was more secluded. The news of the mission had probably leaked on social media and the station would have to face months of questioning from the public. 

Seungyoun noticed the familiar faces of families who were always at the monthly meet ups. Most have aged tremendously especially one of the kids who was in kindergarten at the time looked as if he was a pre teen. 

"Ladies and gentlemen friends and family" the captain greeted as he stood at his usual podium with a huge smile on his face, unlike the last time Seungyoun had seen him. 

"I never thought Id be here in front of you all again, in the year of my retirement with good news. Thanks to scientists who had worked tirelessly over the years and a huge help from an extremely brilliant Korean scientist named Han Seungwoo, we were able to bring our team home." 

The crowd erupted into loud cheers and upon hearing Seungwoo's name Seungyoun held onto the chain around his neck and pursed his lip trying to suppress his feelings. 

"Everyone we do apologize for withholding the good news for the past couple of days but we needed to make sure the astronauts were in good condition as the environment they were in was quite intense. Now you may notice a slight difference but we assure you, they are all healthy and ready to be back on our time frame."

Everyone in the crowd mumbled their concerns to one another after hearing the captains words, and finally the team emerged from the tunnel, all dressed up in NASA jumpsuits their faces lighting up as they were greeted by the crowd. 

Each and every single member who boarded the ship that day eight years ago, looked exactly the same. No trace of any aging nor growth could be seen on any of them, it was if they had never left. 

Seungyoun's heart raced as he finally saw Hangyul walk towards them. He was still a young bright twenty-two year old who still carried that fresh out of university charm. It felt like a dream. 

"My baby!" Hangyul's mother screamed as she jumped into Hangyul's arms and sobbed. Hangyul could not fight back his own tears and joined in as his father held onto both of them tightly. Hangyul felt guilty for leaving them. Especially not being around to see them get old. Not be there to help out once they retired, he felt like he missed out on a lifetime of memories. 

Suddenly through all his sobs and apology's, Hangyul looked up and searched for the one person he hoped to be there. 

And there he was. 

Standing in the back as usual, hands in his pockets tears streaming down his face and that stupid smile spreading from ear to ear. 

It was his Seungyoun. He never forgot him. He was still waiting for him to come home.


	14. start

"Do you ever wonder if we'd be friends forever?"

"I dont see a reason not to be"

"Yeah but what if you decide to leave one day ?"

"I'll always come back Seungyounnie."

Seungyoun held onto Hangyul tightly as their first hug in eight years felt almost electric. Seungyoun almost forgot that they were at the space station, he still tried to convince himself that he did not deserve to be happy.

Hangyul buried his face in Seungyoun's chest as he sobbed. He had been on earth for around fourteen days now but this moment made it finally feel like he was truly at home. 

"Im so sorry I left Seungyoun" Hangyul finally said as the two pulled apart. 

"Dont apologize you lived your dream" Seungyoun consoled him and wiped away his tears. Hangyul finally stepped back and took a first look at his now much older friend. His eyes seemed aged, but his smile was still youthful. 

"How old are you ?" Hangyul frowned as he studied Seungyoun's face. 

"turning the big thirty in a few months" Seungyoun bit down on his lip realizing that even though they were the same age, Hangyul had clearly not lived as many years as he did. 

"Wow your'e old" Hangyul chuckled, "eight years and yet for me it was just one excruciating long year."

The conversation went silent as the two knew they had a lot to discuss, both living completely different lives for a different period of time. 

"Seungyoun" 

Seungyoun turned around and was greeted by the worker he met at the open day years ago. The same worker who gave him the handbook and drove him home the day Hangyul was announced to be leaving. 

"Bomin ?" Seungyoun quizzed as he noticed the man wearing the same worker uniform despite the many years that have passed. 

"Wow it is you" Bomin chuckled and shook Seungyoun's hand, "I heard all about your studies I guess my handbook came in handy huh ? its good to have you back Hangyul." 

Hangyul bowed politely as Bomin made his way over to greet the other astronauts and families. 

"How do you know Kim Bomin ?" Hangyul asked, astonished by the brief interaction. 

"You know him ?" Seungyoun frowned. 

"He did the first huge expedition years ago" Hangyul explained as they watched Bomin talk to the elderly captain on the podium.

"He too got stuck on a weird planet where time worked differently. The captain is his son."

Seungyoun's eyes widened as he noticed Bomin's young cheery self help the elderly captain off the podium and the captain squeezed his hand playfully as they left. 

"He knew it might happen again...he made me not lose hope" Seungyoun murmured.

"What ?" Hangyul peered in Seungyoun's focus. 

"Its nothing, come on lets get going" Seungyoun smiled and rejoined Hangyul's parents. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Over the next two weeks Hangyul was on a strict diet and Seungyoun was there to make sure he was able to adjust to being home again. Hangyul was handling everything pretty well until nightfall where he would get extremely bad nightmares due to PTSD. 

"Seungyoun I cant sleep" Hangyul whispered over the phone at 3 in the morning. 

"Do you want to go to the observatory ? I'll pick you up in a bit" Seungyoun cut the call and grabbed his coat and car keys. 

Seungyoun held onto Hangyul's hand tightly as he helped him get to the rooftop, making sure his movements were slow and gentle. 

"Are you cold ? Do you want my coat ?" Seungyoun asked softly as he checked Hangyul's temperature by feeling his forehead. 

"Im not a baby!" Hangyul whined and smacked Seungyoun's hand away taking a seat on the blanket that they set up. 

"Is that how you talk to your elders?!" Seungyoun groaned, "Wow kids of today have no manners." 

Hangyul rolled his eyes playfully and pulled Seungyoun down onto the blanket immediately snuggling up to him as they watched the stars float by in the night sky. 

He immediately felt calm. He missed this feeling but more now knowing that all these years, even though it was just months for him - Seungyoun loved him back. 

"You were with someone else during our time apart right ?" Hangyul murmured and noticed a piece of jewelry that Seungyoun wore regularly.

"Yes" Seungyoun simply replied still focusing on the stars. 

"What was he like ?" 

"He was great" Seungyoun smiled. "smart, handsome, kind and way out of my league.

"He was the one who brought you back to me. That's how incredibly pure he was. He knew how much I missed you that he'd push aside his own feelings to help me."

Hangyul looked up at Seungyoun, noticing a stray tear falling from his eyes. 

"Im grateful for him I hope he gets to meet his soulmate too, since he brought me back to mine" Hangyul whispered. 

Seungyoun watched as Hangyul caressed his cheek and leaned in, pressing his soft lips on his. Their eyes closed as Seungyoun wrapped his hand around the back of Hangyul's neck, pulling him into the electrifying kiss that he wished could last a lifetime. Time stood still for once to their advantage, it was just them and the stars. 

"I love you" Seungyoun whispered as they parted lips. 

"I love you too Seungyounnie" Hangyul smiled basking in a moment that would now be theirs forever.


	15. end

[ three years later ] 

"quick you're going to miss it!" Hangyul shouted from their balcony as he pointed his telescope up at the sky. 

"hang on!" Seungyoun yelled back from their bedroom as he typed a message into his phone. 

-Hangyul is waiting for the comet, nagging me to watch it with him - Seungyoun-

-boyfriend and I are still on vacation but we managed to find an observatory here lol - Seungwoo-

Seungyoun smiled as he received a selfie of Seungwoo and his boyfriend Wooseok as they relaxed on a beach somewhere in Miami. He and Seungwoo had reached out to each other a couple of months after Hangyul had come back, and surprisingly developed a comfortable friendship. 

Seungwoo grinned brightly as he scrolled through a few pictures from Seungyoun still wearing his necklace of course as Seungwoo still wore his ring. They promised they would still keep it no matter what. 

-I kinda miss Seoul! :( - Seungwoo-

\- visit! im sure Wooseok would love to see where you grew up - Seungyoun-

-he has been nagging me lol maybe i'll come over soon - Seungwoo-

\- I swear you'd love the island, anyway I gotta go before Hangyul screams at me again. See ya - Seungyoun-

Seungyoun switched off his phone and headed to the balcony of their new condo on Jeju Island. They managed to get a secluded spot high up to to see almost the entire island and just enjoy an easier life together. 

"You idiot what took you so long we have two minutes left" Hangyul hit him playfully as they both slumped into the camp chairs peered up at the sky waiting for the comet to pass. 

"Idiot ? Excuse me as I said I think im much smarter than you now" Seungyoun rolled his eyes.

Hangyul huffed in response and pointed to the NASA broach that sat on his head. 

"I already won that round remember ?"

"I let you win! I knew you'd cry if you knew I became smarter than you" Seungyoun smirked. 

Hangyul's alarm went off and the two quickly huddled around the telescope and marveled at the golden rays of the comet that flew by quickly disappearing into the dark night in an instant. 

"Lets do this test" Seungyoun said pulling out Seungwoo's test papers he had set for him back then, "If you win you can choose your prize."

Hangyul wrinkled his nose and looked over the test paper. 

"Fine, If I win you will let me get a dog" he pouted, "even though its impossible, what do you want if you win?"

"I want you...to marry me" Seungyoun grinned and pulled out a galaxy printed ring box that sported sirius, the binary star shaped diamonds on the top. 

Hangyul grinned from ear to ear, unable to hide his reddened face. 

"Im not going to go easy on you, no matter what" Hangyul raised his eyebrow. 

"Well im hoping you dont" Seungyoun retorted, "There can only be one smart person in this relationship and thats me."

Hangyul rolled his eyes and grabbed the test paper from Seungyoun. 

Seungyoun bit down on his lip and flipped over his own paper. 

"Good luck nerd."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi ! Thank you to everybody who liked this fic im sorry if it took to long!  
> I also want to add that im going to do a cute slice of life one shot of Seungwoo x Wooseok based in the same universe.(just a short snippet of how they met just so we can see Seungwoo get the love he deserves lol)  
> so dont forget to check that out.


End file.
